Shifting apparatus for windmills



(No Model.)

, L; M. H 'osK-INS.

SHIFTING APPARATUS FOR V'VIIIDMILLS.

Patented Mam. 4, "1884.

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' it is therefore necessary that the portions of the .To all whom, itmay concern.-

UNi-TED STATES l LEANDR M. Hoskins, or

PATENT OFFICE.

EVASVILLE, VISGONSIN.

SHIFTING APPARATUS FOR WINDMILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,624, dated March 4,1884,

Application meu August 6, 1883. (No model.)

Be it known that I, LEANDER M. Hoskins, of Evansville, inthe county ofRock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Shifting Apparatus for Windmills; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon'.

The invention involved in the subject-matter of this 'applicationrelates to an improvement lin windmills, the object whereof is toprovide shifting devices for windmills in which the power is transmittedin the manner described and illustrated in Letters Patent No. 274, 329,granted to me March 20, 1883,.and to which this invention isparticularly applicable. The purpose of these shifting devices is toshift the wind-wheel in and out of the wind without interfering with thedifferent motions of the main and compensating turn-tables, and

shifting .apparatus attached to these two elements should be soconnected as to admit of revolution independently of each other. Theinvention therein consists in the'employment of three sets of devices,of which one connects and revolves concurrently with the mainturn-table, another with the compensating turntable, and the third issecured to the tower in such a manner that it will not revolve as theturn-tables revolve, the different sets being swiveled so as to actindependently of each other. f

rlhe invention further consists `inthe construction and arrangement ofthese several devices, and in the combination ofthe same with theirrespective parts, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed. iy

For a better comprehension of the invention, and to enable those skilledin its relative art to know how to'construct and use the same, adetailed description will now be given with reference to theaccompanying` drawings, in whichf Figure l illustrates a partperspective and section of a windmill embracing the principal featuresof my invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 views'in detail of certain portionsof the shifting devices.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews.

.In order that a better understanding may be had of the operation of theshifting devices, in' conjunction with the gearing with which thesedevices are designed to be employed, I will iirst proceed to describesuch gearing and its arrangement, omitting general details ofconstruction. In the drawings, A represents the windwheel shaft, havingbearings in a suitable box or casing, A', which is rigidly mounted uponthe main turn-table K, so that whenever the position of shaft Ais variedby a change in the direction of the wind, the main turn-table K iscompelled to revolve. Upon the outer end of shaft A a suitablewind-wheel (not shown) is mounted, and to the inner end of said shaft abevel-gear wheel, B, is keyed. In its revolu` tion the gear -wheel Bmeshes with a similar wheel, C, keyed, as shown,to a hollow verticalshaft, D, which is mounted on the compensating turn-table H, and isconcentric with the turn-table K.

Secured to the shaft D is a second gearwheel, E, which inA itsrevolution meshes with a gear-wheel, F, keyed to the upper end of ashaft, G. The shaft G has bearings in the compensating turn-table H, andpassesobliqucly downward to the center line lof the tower, where it iscoupled by nieansof a universal joint, M ,to ave-rtical shaft, N, saidshaft N connecting in vany appropriate manner with the machinery to bedriven. The main turntable K consists of a cylinder provided, as

shown, with inwardly-projecting fianges, and A is of such a diameterthat it will encircle the upper end of the tower-casting L, and revolveabout the same. v rlhis tower-casting L has'at its upper end anoutwardly-proj ecting iiange- As illustrated, 'the IOO friction-wheels,and is of such a depth that-its lower flange will press against thelower set of such wheels.

The compensating turn-table H is, as shown, smaller than the mainturn-table K, and revolves within said turn-table. The parts beingconstructed and arranged as thus far described makes manifest the factthat upon the revolution of turn-table l( the frictional contact betweensaid turn-table and rollers I will cause the compensating turn-table Hto revolve with exactly half the angular velocity of turntable l.

The arrangement of the gearing being as above described, I will nowproceed to describe in detail the construction and arrangement of thecomponent parts of the shifting devices.

A2 denotes au arm rigidly secured upon the top of the main turn-table Kand revolving concurrently therewith. To this arm A2 is hinged a lever,O, by the movement of which (by means of suitable connections notillustrated) the wind-wheel is shifted in and out of the wind. A rod, Q,is attached to the lever Oby means of a ball-and-socket joint, l?, and,passing downward through the center of the hollowr vertical shaft D, isattached at its lower end to a sleeve, S, by means of a socket andset-screw,or by some other suitable means. This sleeve is looselyadjusted upon the oblique shaft G, and is provided with an annulargroove, a, in which is loosely fitted a second sleeve or ring, T.Alever, U, is attached by a ball-and-soeket joint, x, to a link, Y,which in turn is attached to the tower by a hinged joint, y. The lever Uis preferably made of two strips of metal of a corresponding shape andsize, in order that near its i11- ner end it may be separated orexpanded to form a loop of a size sufficient to embrace the obliqueshaft G and the two sleeves S and T. The sleeve T is provided with studst f, which enter holes made in the lever U, and thus fulcrum orpivotally connect these two parts. The construction of lever U and themanner of connecting itwith sleeve Tare clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

To the lever U, at my and m', are attached wires, by means of which theshifting apparatus can be actuated from the ground.

It will be seen that by the use of two wires attached to the lever U onopposite sides of its fulcrum the sleeve S and its rod Qmay be operatedeither upward or downward at pleasure, and the wind-wheel may thus beheld securely, either in or out of the wind, or at any intermediateposition, as desired.

It will be observed that the mode of attachment of the lever U to thetower is such as to allow of the changes in the position of the sleevesS and T caused by the changes in the position of thc oblique shaft.

Fig. 2 illustrates al1 arm, R, which, by means of a set-screworothersuitablemeans, is adapted to be adjustably secured upon the rod Q.

This arm is, as shown, forked at one end to embrace the oblique shaft G,and by this means of connection between rod Q and shaft G the former iscaused to revolve as the position of 7o the latter is changed by therevolution of compensating turn-table H, hence the rod Q and sleeve S(which connects with said rod)I are caused to .revolve concurrently withcompensating turn-table H.

lt will be seen that the different rates of revolution of the lever Oand the rod Q (which revolve, respectively, with the main andcompensating turn-table) are permitted by the ball-and-socket joint l),while the revolution of rod Q with reference to the lever U (which isattached to the tower) is permitted by the swiveled sleeves S and T.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the shiftingapparatus consists of three sets of devices having independentaction-viz., first, the lever O and other connections attached to andrevolving in unison with the main turn-table; second, the rod Q, arm ll,and sleeve S, attached to and revolving in unison with the compensatingturntable; and, third, the sleeve T, lever U, and other connectionsfixed to the tower, so as to avoid revolution with the turn-tables.Although these three sets of devices are essential, yet it will beevident that the construction may be varied, as may also the manner ofswiveling them.

It may also be well to state that, sofar as the essential parts of thisdevice are concerned, it is immaterial what kind of wheel is employed,as the shifting apparatus is designed for use with the arrangement ofgearing shown,

and may be used with any windmill employing such gearing, whether itswheel be a solid or a feathering blade wheel.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a windmill employing a secondary or compensating turn-table,revolving at a different rate of speed from that of the main turntable,an apparatus for shifting the wind-wheel in and out of the wind,consisting of three sets of devices, of which one connects and revolvesconcurrently with the main 4 turn-table, another with thc secondary orcompensating turn-table, and the third is so secured to the tower as toavoid revolution with the turntables, the three sets being swiveled soas to act independently of each other, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a windmill employing a secondary or compensating turn-table, andan oblique shaft arranged as described, a sleeve loosely adjusted uponsaid shaft, and connecting 'with the compensating turn-table by meanscompelling it to revolve concurrently therewith, for the purpose setforth.

3. In a windmill employing a secondary or compensating turn-table, andan oblique shaft arranged as described, the combination, with IIO II y asleeve loosely adj usted upon said shaft, and revolving concurrentlywith the compensating turn-tabl e, of a rod connecting said sleeve withthe shifting devices attached to the main turn-y a sleeve looselyadjusted upon said shaft, and.

' revolving concurrently with the compensating turn-table, of a secondsleeve or ring swiveled upon the first-mentioned sleeve and connectingwith the shifting devices attached to the tower by means preventing saidsleeve or ring from revolving by the revolution of the turntables, forthe, purpose set forth.

5. In a windmilll employing asecondary or compensating turn-table, andan oblique Shaft arranged as described, the combination, with 1 a sleeveloosely adjusted upon said shaft, and

a second sleeve or ring swiveled upon it, of a lever attached to saidsleeve or ring and to the tower by means preventing the revolution .ofsaid sleeve or ring, and allowing both sleeves to change positionaccording as the position of the oblique shaft varies, for the purposeset forth.

6. In the windmill described, the combination, with the sleeves S and T,the former revolving concurrently with the secondary or compensating'turn-table, of the lever U, provided on both sides of its fulcrum withmeans adapting the sleeves to be actuated either upf` ward or downwardfrom the base of the tower7 for the purpose setforth.

7. In the windmill described, the arm R, rigidly attached to the rod Q,and loosely embracing the oblique shaft G, for the purpose set forth'.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEANDER M. HOSKINS.

